This invention relates to creped absorbent composites wherein a lightly crosslinked or water-swellable hydrophilic polymer is bonded to wicking substrates, dried, and creped to give the composite a soft hand and high water absorption rates.
It is known from French Pat. No. 2,375,985 dated 9-1-78 that non-woven fiber sheet/wadding/powdered layer/wadding/polyethylene film laminates can be made flexible with good adhesion by transverse creasing or dry crimping. However, the present invention is superior in that there is a superior bonding and less migration of the absorbent material.
Another method of retaining powdered absorbents between sheets of cellulose tissue in small pockets is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,443 dated 4-7-81. However, the product produced by this method is not as soft as the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,117,184 and 4,176,667, it is disclosed that tissue/aerated absorbent film/tissue laminates can be prepared.
While the laminates disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,184 have good absorption rates for water, urine, and other body fluids or exudates they have a tendency to become brittle and inflexible in atmospheres of low relative humidity. The result is an unacceptable rattle sound when the laminate is flexed and the laminate has a stiff or board like feel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,609, dated 10-6-81, there is disclosed a soft flexible hydrophilic absorbent laminate comprising a central discontinuous and crushed film made from a water-swellable hydrophilic polymer and layers of wicking substrates bonded to both sides of the film. However, the compositions of this invention are better in that they have a superior absorption rate.